Get Started With the Toast Tables Self-Service Waitlist Stand

Last updated: Oct 26, 2026, 3:40 PM

Set up the Toast Tables Self-Service Waitlist Stand so guests can add themselves to your waitlist on a tablet in your restaurant

In this Article:

 

About the Self-Service Waitlist Stand

Note: Toast does not provide hardware for the Self-Service Waitlist Stand. It runs as a web page on a tablet that your restaurant owns, similar to the Toast Tables host app.

 

The Self-Service Waitlist Stand lets guests add themselves to your waitlist on a tablet in your restaurant. Guests do not need to wait for a host.

Guests see the current quoted wait and/or the number of parties ahead of them, based on their party size and preferred dining areas. They enter their name, party size, area preferences, and phone number. They are added to your waitlist right away and receive the same text messages as parties a host adds.

After joining, guests can scan a QR code to follow their wait and place in line on their own phone. The screen then resets for the next guest. New parties appear in the Toast Tables host app with the label Joined via Waitlist Stand.

 

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Before You Begin

Applies to: Toast Tables, Toast Web

 

Permissions needed:

  • 4.7 Configure Booking (Waitlist & Reservations)

 

What you'll accomplish: Set up a tablet in your restaurant that guests can use to add themselves to your waitlist.

 

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Step 1: Get a Tablet and Stand

Your restaurant provides the tablet and the stand. You need:

  • A recent iPad or Android tablet with Wi-Fi and a web browser
  • A stand or mount for the tablet

Place the tablet somewhere visible near your entrance. Toast recommends a locking or secured mount to deter theft.

 

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Step 2: Open the Waitlist Stand Page

  1. Sign in to Toast Web.
  2. Navigate to Toast Web > Waitlist & Reservations > Settings > Self-Service Stand.
  3. Copy the Waitlist Stand URL.
  4. On the tablet, open the URL in a web browser. Use Safari on an iPad and Chrome on an Android tablet.

 

Expected outcome: The Waitlist Stand page opens on the tablet.

 

Note: The Waitlist Stand is available only during shifts where the online waitlist is enabled in your Toast Tables Schedule. There is no other setup in Toast Web. For schedule steps, see Toast Tables™: Schedules.

 

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Step 3: Lock an iPad to the Waitlist Stand

Locking the iPad keeps guests on the Waitlist Stand page. Complete both parts.

 

Part 1: Add the Waitlist Stand to the Home Screen

  1. Open the Waitlist Stand URL in Safari.
  2. Select the Share icon.
  3. Select Add to Home Screen. If you do not see it, select More first.
  4. Confirm Open as Web App is enabled, then select Add.
  5. Open the Waitlist Stand from the new Home Screen icon and finish setup there.

 

Expected outcome: The Waitlist Stand opens as a web app from the Home Screen icon.

 

Part 2: Lock the iPad With Guided Access

  1. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility. Scroll to the General section, select Guided Access, and enable it.
  2. Select Passcode Settings > Set Guided Access Passcode, and choose a code that only managers know.
  3. Navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and select Never so the screen does not go to sleep.
  4. Open the Waitlist Stand from the Home Screen icon you created in Part 1.
  5. Press the power button three times to open Guided Access, then select Start in the top corner. You can skip the optional area settings.

 

Expected outcome: The iPad stays on the Waitlist Stand and guests cannot leave the page.

 

To exit Guided Access, press the power button three times and enter the manager passcode.

 

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Step 4: Lock an Android Tablet to the Waitlist Stand

  1. Navigate to Settings > Security > App pinning and enable it. On some devices, this setting is under Advanced.
  2. Open the Waitlist Stand URL in Chrome.
  3. Open Recent apps, select the Chrome icon at the top of the preview, and select Pin.

 

Expected outcome: The tablet stays on the Waitlist Stand and guests cannot leave the page.

 

To unpin, touch and hold the Back and Recents buttons together, then enter the device screen lock.

 

Note: Menu names and steps can vary by device model and operating system version. If you cannot find a setting, search for "Guided Access" or "App pinning" in the device Settings. If you still need help, contact Toast Customer Care.

 

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